Council: No plastic bag ban in Willits

The Willits City Council voted 2-3 not to follow the rest of the county's ban on disposable plastic bags. Mayor Holly Madrigal and Councilwoman Madge Strong were the two votes in favor of the ordinance.

This followed on the heels of Tuesday's emergency vote by the board of supervisors temporarily modifying the county's plastic bag ordinance for all businesses within 25 miles of Willits. Supervisors lifted the county's requirement forcing customers to pay 10 cents each for paper bags for the next six months. The board determined this requirement created an unfair economic disadvantage for business such as Geiger's in Laytonville.

The cities of Fort Bragg and Ukiah have a similar ordinance in place, banning disposal carryout bags and requiring businesses to charge 10 cents for all paper bags provided to store customers.

The 10-cent payment is the actual estimated cost of the paper bag and is considered to be a needed disincentive to encourage customers to switch to reusable bags, according to Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority General Manager Mike Sweeney.

Strong requested the proposed ordinance be brought before the Willits council. The proposal was mirrored on the Fort Bragg, Ukiah and Mendocino County ordinances.

Sweeney told the council his agency would draft a similar ordinance for Willits as well as any environmental review required by the California Environmental Quality Act at no cost to the city. Sweeney's only request was for the city to provide clear direction of support to him before spending his agency's resources.

Councilman Ron Orenstein was on a Willits council's ad hoc committee studying this issue last year. He voiced strong opposition to the proposed ordinance, stating it did not go far enough and would only substitute on pollutant for another.